"If our civilization is to survive the next 100 years more or less in tact, we have to find ways of dealing with the long run collective choice problems that arise because all six billion of us are using the atmosphere and oceans of this planet as common access dumps. The problems are not insoluble, if we can summon the will to deal with them. It is time we Canadians, citizens and politicians alike, take the long view, acknowledge what we are doing to this planet, and begin to deal with it.

I signed this letter because it very clearly lays out what we economists know about how to deal with these common access problems."

Curtis Eaton, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Calgary,
past President of the Canadian Economics Association

“Every day that we go on consuming carbon-based products at a price that does not reflect their true social cost, we pass more and more grief on to our children and grandchildren.

People worry about having an extra tax added to their existing burden, but if the carbon tax is made revenue neutral -- say by redacting the GST to make it so -- only those who are heavy consumers of carbon-based products will pay more, while those who consume less than the average, mainly low and middle income earners, will pay less tax in total."

Richard G. Lipsey, Emeritus Professor, Economics Department, Simon FraserUniversity. Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and past President of theCanadian Economics Association.

"The quality of the environment we leave for future generations is one of the defining moral issues of our time. Though we may disagree on the precise policy measures that are best suited to preventing environmental degradation, that is a secondary issue. What is most important is that Canadians assume moral leadership on this issue, something that the political process has failed so far to do."

Robin Boadway, David Chadwick Smith Chair and Professor, Department of Economics, Queen's University. Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and past President of theCanadian Economics Association.

"Canada's political leaders are agreed that carbon emissions should be reduced. There are good ways and bad ways to try to do this. Economists can advise which approaches are likely to be the best in economic tems. The two that stand out are a revenue-neutral carbon tax and a cap-and-trade system with fully auctioned emission permits. Those are the smart ways to reduce emissions. Other approaches typically involve heavy-handed regulation or ineffective half measures. I hope Canadians will support leaders who sincerely promise to pursue a smart approach."

James B. Davies, Professor and past Chairperson of the Department of Economics (1992-2001), University of Western Ontario. Current editor of Canadian Public Policy.